Small spots of irregular shapes seen floating in our field of vision, especially when looking at a bright source, such as a clear blue sky or a white paper are identified as floaters.
Although eye floaters are not a grave matter, they indicate the presence of an underlying eye condition that could prove to be direful. Frequent appearances of unusual shapes call for immediate attention.
Our eye care team at Disha Eye Hospital, one of the top eye hospitals in Kolkata, would assist you in receiving a genuine diagnosis of your eye health (general or otherwise) and take the right actions to improve it. Book an appointment online with one of our best eye specialists at http://www.dishaeye.org/organic/.
Types of eye floaters:
Eye floaters could be of various shapes, including:
- Rings
- Cobwebs
- Thread-like strands
- Squiggly lines
- Gray or black dots
Eye floaters could be a symptom preceding a number of eye problems. These include:
- Eye tumours
- Inflammation of the retina
- Inflammation of the vitreous
- Torn retina
- Detached retina
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Trauma to the eye
- Crystal-like deposits in the vitreous
Causes of eye floaters:
In most cases, eye floaters occur with age. Eye floaters are small protein flecks (collagen) that are a part of the vitreous, a gel-like layer in the back of the eye. With age, the protein flecks in the vitreous start forming clumps as they begin to shrink and shred. Gradually, they form shadows in the retina which are named floaters.
Factors that increase the risk of eye floaters:
There are a number of factors that increase the risk of developing eye floaters. The usual ones are:
- Age– In most cases, people start seeing floaters in their vision as they age. If you are aged 50 and above, it’s important to take proper care of your eyes and visit an eye doctor every 6 months to lower the risk of complications.
- Eye injury – Sustaining a serious eye injury early or later in life increases the risk of eye floaters. If you have suffered an eye injury, make sure you get it properly treated by an eye doctor to lower the possibilities of eye floaters and infections.
- Refractive error– You stand at a higher risk of developing eye floaters if you have nearsightedness. Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a refractive error in which distant objects appear blurry while close objects appear clear.
If you are encountering difficulty in seeing distant objects with clarity, you may have myopia. Our eye care team could carry out an accurate diagnosis of your refractive error through a simple refractive test and help you correct your vision, either through prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses or through LASIK surgery.
Equipped with advanced technology, Disha Eye Hospital offers affordable eye treatments for cataract, corneal eye diseases, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, squint, and uveitis.